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wowohwow · 06-18-2011, 12:49 PM

Here's what I've learned over the years from nc.com. You need to check the ingredients in the products you're using. I'm pretty sure they've got a lot of humectants in them, and are thus freaking out in the humidity. You want ANTI humectants, or emollients.

Here's more explanation about humectants, emollients, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wowohwow

So first of all, here is humectants vs emollients:

HUMECTANTS VS EMOLLIENTS

emollients = soften, smooth, give hair shine
- vegetable oils and nut butters
humectants = absorb water and hold in moisture
- panthenol, vegetable glycerin

macadamia, jojoba = great natural moisture seaweed, shea, Acanthe Extract = great natural emollients

There are three basic kinds of dew points: low, medium, and high.

For low dew points, here are my notes...

no humectants
more emollients/moisture
less glycerin/propylene glycol (both are humectants)
richer consistency conditioners/leave-in/cowash
less low pooing

For high dew points, here are my notes...

lots! of humectants
more glycerin/propylene glycol
thinner consistency conditioners/leave in/cowash/

Then I made a chart (like the type-A personality that I am

) outlining my main products and what they have...and what dew points I can use them in...(H is humectant, E is emollient, and P is protein)

GVP CB (H) - propylene glycol (H), cetearyl alcohol (E), myristyl alcohol (E), cetrimonium choloride(A), decyl oleate (E)

AG (H) - Hydrolyzed Silk Protein (P), Propylene Glycol (H)

GVP PM (H) - Panthenol (H), Glycerin (H), Propylene Glycol (H)

HETT (H) - Propylene Glycol (H)

No Frizz (H) - Glycerin (H), Myristyl Alcohol (E), PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate (E), Caprylyl Glycol (H)

Tres Nat (E) - stearyl alcohol (E), cetyl alcohol (E)

Joiwhip (E) - Polyquat 11, hydro hair kerating (P)

Giovanni (E) - Soybean Protein (P)

**************************************************

Here is more technical information regarding dew points that I got from this link ...

Dew point <15F = very dry

TON of moisture/emollients
expect looser curl pattern
good time to straighten
little/no humectant use

15 - 30F = dry

add moisture and emollients
limit or cut out humectants

30 - 40F = WEIRD AREA

have to figure out a combo of humectants and moisture/emollients that works best for you

40 - 60F = moist

prime curly range
easily attained moisture/humectant balance

60F+ = very moist

lots of humectants!

I think that's it lol ... HTH!!

If that doesn't make sense, here's more clarification..

Quote:

Originally Posted by wowohwow

Here's the basics. Look up an ingredient. Use this website: Skin Deep Cosmetics Database | Environmental Working Group When you look up an ingredient, it'll say what type it is at the top. Like for example, I looked up propylene glycol... http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ing...PYLENE_GLYCOL/ at the very top it says that it's a humectant. I look up everything that's not natural, and I ignore water, fragrances, emulsifiers (thickening agents), and preservatives.

Second, humectants vs emollients. Humectants are like sponges - they pull water into them. Therefore, if there is a humectant on your hair...

* | | ** Let's say that's a hair, ok? and the * are
* | | ** water molecules. Since there are more
* | | ** molecules outside than inside, the hair
* | | ** will absorb the water from the outside toward it.
* | | ** That's a HUMECTANT. Those are its properties. Does that make sense?

So think about it. It's dry in winter and moist in summer, right? So in summer, your hair will pull moisture from the air and it's ok. However, in the winter, there isn't any water to pull from in the air, so the humectant pulls it from your hair - BAD!

I'm not sure why for this next part, but emollients provide moisture for your hair. If you look up an ingredient in that database, you'll find that some of them are labeled "emollients." They provide moisture so that your hair doesn't get dried out. While you still want these in the summer, you want humectants too.

HTH!